On the road to success - Catherine's Story
Nuna turns the ignition on her job hunt
Nuna knew the key to giving herself the flexibility to work in Aged Care centres was to have a transport solution – she wanted to get her licence, work towards getting a car and give herself the independence to go for jobs she really wanted.
An Uyghur woman from China, seeking asylum in Australia, Nuna was living on a bridging visa and had limited access to social services support. But the team at The Salvation Army’s EPlus Local was determined to help her round out her skills and see her thriving in a rewarding role she would also enjoy.
EPlus Local – a specialist service provided by The Salvation Army and Employment Plus – takes a very holistic approach to unique groups of job seekers (like asylum seekers) who often have complex social issues to work through on their journey to gaining employment.
Nuna was first referred to EPlus Local from another community service provider, and her EPlus Local Humanitarian Job Coach, Nibras Jasim, immediately referred her to TSA’s Drive for Life program.
Despite Nuna’s lack of experience, James from Drive for Life was able to provide her with free driving lessons and a vehicle to learn in. She passed her driving test the first time around!
Nuna also achieved a Certificate III qualification in Individual Support Care as she was keen to work in a role looking after others. She quickly started hunting for work and found the perfect role at a nursing home, which was just a short, 20min drive from home.
“Many of these job seekers have fled scenes of unimaginable trauma and displacement. There are language barriers, cultural differences and many things we take for granted – family networks, extensive social support, Centrelink funding – just aren’t available for asylum seekers,” says Nibras.
“What gives me such great joy in Nuna’s story is how happy and grateful she is for her opportunities, how quickly she took up the offer to get her licence, to find a job and how her new found freedom has provided her a chance to improve her quality of life.
“Of course, she had challenges when she started in her new role – there’s a lot to learn in most new jobs – but she tells us she is so happy and taking as many double shifts as she can. Her drive to work is less than 20mins, so it’s great for her to continue to build her road skills and also meet the licence requirements she needed for a job in Aged Care.
“It’s incredibly heart-warming to see her grow both independence and confidence.”
Luke banks an opportunity
After three long years of unemployment, 57yr old Leongatha man, Luke, wasn’t sure what to expect when he started with his new service provider: The Salvation Army Employment Plus.
He’d spent three years with his previous provider and hadn’t found work. He’d felt he’d been ‘pigeon-holed’ by his previous experience, and while he’d engaged in training courses, he’d not found a job that suited him.
Employment Plus started helping the jobseekers of Gippsland region in July this year as the new Workforce Australia program came in to place.
“Were determined to help Luke find a better return on the time he invested in job hunting,” says regional manager, Les Stothard.
“Luke said he’d not really attended many job interviews during the past 36 months. The opportunities put in front of him just didn’t seem the right fit. He really wanted to work but wanted a role where he could continue to learn new skills and also feel like is he making a valued contribution.
Not long after Luke’s initial appointment a role came up with Bendigo Bank.
His employment consultant, Gemma, assisted him with his application and spent time helping Luke take a review of his job seeking process. This involved reviewing his CV to better showcase his experience and brushing up on his interview techniques to ensure he was putting his best foot forward.
Employment Plus also helped Luke find some appropriate clothes to wear to his interview, which would be more suited in a corporate environment – exactly the kind of role he had his eye on!
Luke was overjoyed when he was offered a full-time role in customer service at the banking branch and has now been there for more than two months. He’s since learned plenty of new skills and has fitted right in with the team.
“Luke was extremely excited to get off payments and to work at such a great place like Bendigo Bank. He’s relishing the challenges and we’re pleased to hear from his employers that he’s adding a lot of value. It’s great when our job seekers find a job they love and can start a whole new chapter, looking positively forward,” concludes Les.
A village of support for Divya
Indian-born asylum seeker Divya* had thought leaving the stresses of her mother country would bring a life of opportunity to her family in Australia.
Sadly, for this mum of two kids, geographical shifts couldn’t help her escape the abusive situation she was experiencing at home and she found herself in a local women’s shelter.
Divya was lacking in two key areas – financial support and confidence. She needed more than a job – she needed the support of a village.
EPlus Local – a specialist service provided by The Salvation Army and Employment Plus – takes a very holistic approach to unique groups of job seekers (like asylum seekers) who often have complex social issues to work through on their journey to gaining employment.
E Plus Local Humanitarian Job Coach, Nibras Jasim, began to consider the ways she could help Divya manager her immediate worries and look towards creating a more positive future for herself.
First off, EPlus Local helped her with some basic living cost items – fuel, clothes for herself and the kids and essential items to set up home.
To begin helping Divya build her confidence back up, Nibras referred her to the Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) for dedicated mental health support.
Naturally, the team also started to get Divya ready for work so that she could continue to build her own confidence and become financially independent.
Divya started working in a restaurant, which was a great step forward for her, but not quite enough to get her settled in her own place.
So EPlus Local helped her access $3,000 from the Red Cross’ Women and Children Fund to fund the bond for her new home.
They also helped Divya get further assistance from the Migrant Resource Centre, which helped her cover her first six months of rent as she kept building her own savings.
“The village of support is out there – sometimes you just need the right people to help you connect to those services. Especially when you are living in a high state of stress, like fleeing a domestic violence situation.
“We look forward to seeing Divya and her children continue to flourish in their new safe home with a whole new world of opportunities in front of them,” says Nibras.
*not her real name
Jane’s Journey - From Healing to Hiring
When Jane* first met with Employment Plus in May 2021 she was doing it tough. She was suffering from anxiety and depression and was also worried about the mental health of her teenaged daughter.
Jane had previously self-medicated with drugs, was in a rehabilitation program and served out her parole. Her last job was at a supermarket – seven years ago.
Having been out of work for so long only increased her anxiety when it came to job hunting. Jane found it hard being out in public and even suffered a panic attack when she dropped off her resume. The team could see she needed a lot of support and kindness as she healed and got her life back together.
“A week before her first interview with us she was in the hospital with stroke-like symptoms. It was clear she was really stressed. We provided her plenty of encouragement, some financial assistance for work clothing and a listening ear,” says DES Regional Manager, Debi Bennett.
“Despite her nervousness, whenever there was an opportunity for a job Jane was highly motivated, which she said was because she liked the feeling of self-worth having a job brought. The way she has worked through her mental health challenges is nothing short of inspiring.”
By October that year, Jane had settled into a part-time job as a casual retail assistant, working 2-3 days a week at a national retail chain store. As time went on other sites requested her to cover shifts. Her confidence quickly grew, she won employee awards and within three months she was offered an assistant manager role.
Jane is now working full time and is her local store’s manager. By the time she celebrates a year of employment, she’ll have already hired new staff to work alongside her.
“As part of our post-placement support we have checked in on Jane and her employer several times and we’re so pleased to get great feedback from both.
“The promotions she has enjoyed speak for themselves, and the best thing has been hearing how happy Jane is and how grateful she is for her job. To think she is now sharing job vacancies with us and will become a valuable employer helping others on their employment journey is wonderful. It’s just another fantastic chapter to the story, really,” concludes Debi.
*Not her real name
Skye Finds the Shoe that Fits
After years spent making people look fabulous in a hairdressing salon chair, job seeker Skye Jackson had to call it quits due to health reasons, but she's really fallen on her feet in a new role at the local shoe store.
The teenager has overcome some challenging odds in between jobs, finding herself couch-surfing when family and relationship challenges meant she needed to live independently at short notice.
However, as she tries a new housing arrangement on for size, as well as a new job, Skye is finally feeling right at home.
“Like anyone, I’ve had my challenges. While I started out hairdressing at around 15, I found I developed severe eczema and dermatitis from the chemicals and working in that environment was causing me constant discomfort. I needed to find a new way to earn money.
As Skye addressed her housing issue she also connected with The Salvation Army Employment Plus and her Youth Employment Consultant, Taylor Basas, suggested she look into building on her fantastic inter-personal skills by completing a Certificate III in Retail.
Following completion of her new qualification, Skye’s first job was in a bridal store but when the hours dropped to below what she needed to enjoy financial independence she applied for her current role at Spend Less Shoes.
“I’ve dealt with hair for all kinds of events, helped women hunting for the perfect wedding dress and I can honestly say fitting shoes has been the best role I’ve had yet!
“I think the biggest reason I enjoy it so much is that we’re a small team and I feel really supported. Everyone here is so friendly and the customers have been really lovely to date. I’m so glad I took Taylor’s advice and have created this opportunity for myself.
“My boss Virginia is amazing at Spend Less Shoes. I feel so relaxed because when we have issues they are solved up front and those dynamics are important for me; they give me more confidence.”
Employment Plus Youth Employment Consultant, Taylor Basas, said one of the best parts of her job is to see young people continue to grow in both independence and confidence.
“It can be hard to know what to do next if you’re suddenly unemployed or struggling to pay rent. We’re here to help and we knew Skye would be an absolute asset to the right employer.”
Spend Less Shoes Store Manager, Virginia McNeil, says shoe retail game is one that keeps you on the balls of your feet.
“Skye is a lovely person, who is bubbly and friendly and listens so well to the customer. She fits in really well with the team. Skye just came in for a casual position advertised and was actually offered the Assistant Manager Role due to her great persona. We’re very pleased to date.”
The light at the end of a long, dark tunnel
Pushing through the dark times and taking a chance on a new career has certainly worked for 59-year-old Clive, who has suffered with crippling anxiety and depression for the last decade.
In 2010 life changed dramatically for Clive. After his businesses failed, his life went in a downward spiral. Nearing bankruptcy, out of work and extremely stressed, Clive was diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression.
He struggled for years and the pressure only continued to mount. When Clive was diagnosed with prostate cancer he became suicidal. He needed hope and a way out of the dark tunnel he had found himself in.
Clive was referred to The Salvation Army Employment Plus earlier this year and began working with his job coach, Paul, to piece his life back together. They decided that physical job might best suit Clive to help him gain back his independence and potentially also alleviate some of his mental health challenges.
Through further discussions and meeting with a secondary job coach, Stacey, Clive was referred and accepted for the traffic control training. And there he was, on the eve of his sixth decade, digging deep to push himself to learn new skills and find the light at the end of the tunnel.
It wasn’t easy and nagging doubts nearly caused him to pull out of the traffic control course, but with the encouragement of his job coach he completed the course, which delivered a range of benefits far beyond a qualification.
Not only does he have a new career to look forward to, but the course has given him motivation to keep going with life and to focus on improving his prospects. One of the best things to come from the course for Clive was meeting others and fostering new friendships.
With his training finished and his placement hours completed, Clive has now started work. He is excited to be starting a new career and says his confidence has returned.
The positive changes have not just impacted Clive, but also his wife who has stood by him through his struggles and feels incredibly lucky to ‘have her husband back’.
Both are appreciative of all the support and encouragement he has received from The Salvation Army Employment Plus and very grateful for a fresh, new start.
If you or someone you know needs help, visit https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/
Should you need urgent support, phone Lifeline on 131114, go to lifeline.org.au or text 0477131114 (5.30-9.30pm AEST)
New beginnings bloom for Christian
Battling significant drug addiction, Christian reached out to The Salvation Army Employment Plus to help him get life back on track. He recognised his habit was not only preventing him from finding suitable employment – it was impacting his sense of self-worth and independence.
DES Team Leader for Central Coast Beck Boyce, quickly realised the immediate need was to get Christian well. She assisted him in finding a suitable detox centre at The Salvation Army’s William Booth house in Sydney.
Our team continued to support Christian during his time there and during his next phase of recovery at The Salvation Army Dooralong Transformation. During his treatment it was important he stayed on site at the facilities, so we arranged job coach meetings twice a month to both encourage him to stick with the program and to help him rediscover his skills, interests and goals.
We learned Christian possessed a lot of valuable skills from his previous work, but he felt unable to go back to that industry due to a variety of reasons, including the location and previous associates.
He wanted to give back to the community that had helped him heal so, taking one step at a time, we guided Christian to complete his Certificate II in Community Services through TAFE NSW.
Through continued support and mentoring from his job coach, Christian began to recognise an underlying passion for working outdoors. With an already great list of transferable skills, we worked to build a strong resume outlining the attributes that would make him suitable for those roles.
Christian’s sense of confidence and pride in his abilities began to grow and he was soon able to summon the courage to approach a local business, Dooralong Native Plants, where he successfully landed a part time job.
Again, we worked closely with Christian to help him to collate the documentation and information he needed to get work-ready and assisted financially with workwear, various tools and work boots.
Christian has now moved to The Salvation Army’s Miracle Haven to continue his rehabilitation and is thriving in full time role at the same nursery; happy to be substance free and independent. We are immensely proud of him and look forward to continuing to support him on his journey.
Rowan lays down his career pipeline
Gippsland man Rowan Dalton had been out of work for two years and he’d had enough. He was keen to start establishing his own financial independence and knew getting a job was a key step in this process.
It was obvious to the team at Employment Plus that Rowan was serious with his mission when he came through the doors with a photograph of an ad he’d seen in the paper for the Latrobe City Council’s Indigenous Employment Program.
His Employment Consultant Alix was impressed with Rowan’s motivation and set about helping him update his resume and assisting him in sorting the statutory declarations required to get new ID documents.
Together, Rowan and Alix connected to the La Trobe City Council Indigenous Employment Program and - with the help of the Mentor, Teleigha Saunders - he was placed in a plumbing apprenticeship to become a quadrant mechanic.
This would be the first time Rowan had sought formal qualification training. His past experience included painting, demolition and labouring, but this new qualification would allow him to gain a specific, marketable skill.
To get Rowan job-ready for his apprenticeship role at Traralgon Hospital, Employment Plus sorted him out with some PPE gear.
Through Aboriginal training specialists, Raw GTO, Rowan was also able to acquire the immediate skill training needed for his job, including getting his elevated working platform licence.
Employment Plus were also able to facilitate a wage subsidy for the Traralgon Hospital and Rowan is happy and doing exceeding well in his new role.
“Employment plus has been very helpful assisting me getting back into work. I appreciate all their assistance. I have been with providers in the past however E Plus has been the most helpful,” says Rowan.
How job seeker Robert Thi Hlum went from job seeker to recruiter with Employment Plus!
Robert, who is of Chin ethnicity, immigrated to Australia in 2008 fleeing persecution in Burma. On arriving in Australia he decided he would stay connected to his community and was, at one stage, Youth President of the Australian Chin Community Eastern Melbourne and a director of the Chin News Channel Media.
With English being one of five languages he speaks, Robert was able to help other migrants with all forms of life administration – from Medicare applications to obtaining a licence.
In fact, a significant number of job seekers in North Eastern suburbs of Melbourne also come from Burma – many leaving their farms with little-to-no English and limited transferrable work skills.
Employment Plus Ringwood Site Manager, Naomi Farrell, saw that job seeker Robert had both the necessary community connections and language abilities to help bridge the gap in finding other Burmese migrants work. He became a part time job coach with Employment Plus and his own hard work saw him become permanent in March this year. In July he filled 15 positions with Tradeflex, who were delighted with their new employees.
“I’ve been there first-hand. I know how hard it is when your language is limited and what’s great about this project has been the ability for the group to work directly alongside each other and support each other,” says Robert.
Tradeflex National Operations Manager, Marilyn Giunta, says Tradeflex is proud to be able to play a role in helping new Australians establish their lives on local soil.
“The Chin community group has been fantastic in helping us fill much-needed new cleaning roles. They’re a very hard working, passionate team with a high level of dependability. We’re very pleased.”
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